Showing up means pushing forward, arriving early and leaving late, pushing away the lure of laziness to pursue growth, and being willing to keep a stiff upper lip in the face of failure. Life will hurl all manner of curveballs at you—that’s just the way it is. The real test is how you react when those disappointments happen: You can either give up or show up…
Read MoreAuthor: Bill Petrie
The Self-Proclaimed Creative
When I think of promotional products distributors, many of them are trying to convince their audience they are creative by telling them that they are. For example, if you have a “creative” idea to use a specific phone charger for Prospect X’s internal sales contest, how creative are you when your competition showed them the same product last week?…
Read MoreBusiness Confidential: Lessons From Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain was complex, prolific, entertaining and unapologetic. It’s been a little over a year since he left this world, but he left behind a legacy of fabulous entrepreneurial, leadership and business lessons that I do my best to apply daily. Here are a few of them, and how you can apply them to your own business…
Read MoreThis Zoom Call Could’ve Been an Email
Just because we have the technology to pop into everyone’s home workspace via Zoom doesn’t mean that privilege needs to be abused. So, as your friendly guide, here are a few tips and thoughts as you think about asking your coworkers or clients to have a video meeting instead of using the phone (or an email)…
Read MoreYour Brand May Not Mean What You Think
The single biggest challenge for distributors is differentiation. In a climate where budgets are slashed and marketing without pandering to your audience is a struggle, how can your brand and message stand out? The fact remains that over 25,000 distributors are selling the same merchandise, from the same supply chain, to the same target audience…
Read MoreProtecting Company Culture in a Crisis
In the remote workplace, organizations have struggled to maintain connectivity with their employees. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a “moment of truth” for corporate culture as leaders correctly ask themselves: Are the actions we take and choices we make right now reflecting our culture and the values that define who we are?…
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